Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness

According to the National Alliance of breast cancer organizations breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women in the United States. This is why it is such an important disease to understand and have awareness about. This cancer occurs both in men and women, but the prevalence is low in men. Out of 100 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer only one man is diagnosed with breast cancer. It constitutes as a major public health issue globally with over 1 million new cases diagnosed every year. Which results in over 400,000 annual deaths and about 4.4 million women living with the disease   ("Breast cancer overview," 2012).

According the NABCO cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases and occurs when cells become abnormal and are without control. The cells will then continue to divide if new ones are not needed. During the change from a normal cell to a cancerous cell, the cell will go through many gene alterations. Eventually these genes form a tumor, which can be benign (non cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Malignant tumors spread to other areas of the body, which will then begin to damage and destroy healthy tissue ("Breast cancer overview," 2012).

As stated above breast cancer is a common cancer among women in the United States and second only to skin cancer, affecting about 178,480 women in the United states each year. Most breast cancer begins in the milk ducts, these ducts connect the milk producing glands (lobules) to the nipple. Some breast cancers will begin in the lobules themselves, and other will begin in out breast tissue ("Breast cancer overview," 2012).

The following are risk factors for developing breast cancer:

·      Female gender

·      Increasing age

·      Personal history of breast cancer

·      Genetic factors- cancer causing mutations in Breast Cancer gene 1 and 2 this genetic factors account for 5-10% of all breast cancers

·      Hormonal factors, such as earlier age at first period, later age at birth of first child, later age at menopause, having no children ("What are risk," 2012)

The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. Female hormones and increasing age play a crucial part in the development of breast cancer. Your chances of developing breast cancer increase as you age. In the US about 1 in every 8 women who live to be eighty will have been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life. Another factor that plays a role in the development of breast cancer is family history. You are more likely to have breast cancer if your mother, father, or sister has had it. This is where the BRAC1 and BRAC2 genes come into play ("What are risk," 2012).

One of the very first signs of breast cancer is often a painless lump. Some other symptoms of breast cancer are a thickening in the breast or armpit, a change in the size of shape of the breast, changes in the skin of the breast, a change in the nipple, a green of bloody fluid that comes from the nipple, a change in color or feel of the skin around the nipple.

As far a prevention of breast cancer there are some things that you cannot control. Such as your age, being female, and your genetics. You can make personal choices that will lower your risk of breast cancer. You can avoid taking long-term high dose hormones after menopause. If you can’t get rid of them completely use low dose hormones for as short a time as possible.  You can breast feed; the benefit appears in women who breast-fed for longer than 12 months. You can also take care of yourself physically, be fit and trim ("What are risk," 2012).

The best method to detect breast cancer is breast self-examination. This should be done just after a woman is done menstruating. Another method is mammography. This usually begins in women who are 50 years of age or older. It is an x-ray that looks for cancer in woman who has no obvious symptom of the disease. Another method is ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The last method is a biopsy of tissue that may be suspicious ("Breast cancer: early detection," 2012)

In conclusion breast cancer is a major disease that affects thousands upon thousands of women every year. The best way to help put a stop to this disease is by early diagnosis. This means periodic breast self-examinations and visits to the doctor. If we can pull together and take care of ourselves we can help put an end to breast cancer.

References

Breast cancer:early detection. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/breastcancerearlydetection/breast-cancer-early-detection-toc

Breast cancer overview. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-toc

What are risk factors for breast cancer. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/healthy/morewaysacshelpsyoustaywell/breastcancer?gclid=COG6kLaKk7MCFUWnPAodVnMA4w